


Warm Heart

by Amedia



Category: The Wizard of Oz & Related Fandoms, Tin Man
Genre: First Time, M/M, Prompt Fic, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-14
Updated: 2010-12-14
Packaged: 2017-10-13 16:28:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/139322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amedia/pseuds/Amedia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cain returns from a journey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Warm Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Response to prompt #6 from the livejournal community magic4mula: "Feathers ... Cream ... Denial ... Snowfall."

Glitch poked the fire in his suite, rose, and looked out the window for the hundredth time. The major snowfall was over, though a few big puffy flakes were still drifting aimlessly like feathers through the air.

That was it, then. No hope of Cain's returning today. Glitch had left his door open, hoping to hear footsteps in the corridor, but to no avail. Cain had vanished a few days ago, leaving a cryptic note that simply said he would be back soon. Glitch wasn't sure what Cain considered "soon," but he wished it meant yesterday.

Outside the palace window the crystalline blanket lay several feet thick. "No one will be out in that," Glitch said aloud to himself. "At least, no one sane."

"Well, that leaves me out," said a familiar voice from the doorway.

"CAIN!" Glitch cried out and turned, beaming, to see a snow-covered figure standing in his doorway. It was all Glitch could do not to run and fling himself into Cain's arms, but he managed to approach with decorum. "I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad I made it," said Cain with a grin, doffing his hat and knocking several inches of snow off it.

"Let me give you a hand," Glitch said, tugging at Cain's heavy overcoat, heedless of the snow rapidly melting onto the floor. "Come in and get warm." He helped pull Cain's snow-crusted gloves off and draped them, along with the coat and hat, over a coat rack near the door.

Glitch's main room had a fireplace with big leather chairs and a thick furry rug in front of it; he settled Cain in one of the chairs and was about to plop himself in the other when a thought struck him. "Would you like something hot? Coffee or tea? Cream or sugar?" _Stop babbling, Glitch_ , he scolded himself.

Cain shook his head. "Thanks, I'm fine," he said. "I'd rather just visit for a while, if you don't mind."

Glitch nodded and took a seat. "I was concerned when you left," he said. "Your note didn't explain much." He tried not to sound accusing. He had been astonished by how much he missed Cain, how little the palace seemed like home when Cain was gone.

"I had a lot to think about," Cain said. "The Queen has offered me a position as Chief of Security here," He looked at Glitch. "Did you know?"

"I had an inkling," Glitch said carefully.

"It would be a huge change," Cain said. "Not what I'm used to."

Glitch considered pointing out that what Cain was used to, was being trapped in a tin diver's suit watching his worst nightmare repeatedly coming true, but it didn't seem that such an observation would contribute anything helpful to the conversation.

"Did you recommend me?" Cain asked, with forced casualness.

Glitch had been anticipating the question, but he still didn't have a good answer. The truth would have to do, awkward as it was.

"No," he began flatly. He looked at Cain to see if the denial startled him, but Cain was putting on an excellent poker face. Glitch continued. "The Queen and I discussed the necessity for a skeleton crew, a minimal number of carefully-selected people who could help her start putting the kingdom back together right away, until she had time to appoint a regular cabinet. I told her that a Security Chief was essential, and she asked whether I had anyone in mind." He stopped.

"And?" prompted Cain.

Glitch chose his next words carefully, staring into the fire. "I told her that I had a personal conflict of interest and could not give her any specific names, but that she should choose someone with experience whom she could trust absolutely." He gave a short laugh. "She asked immediately whether I trusted you."

"What did you say?" Cain asked, sounding curious.

"With my life," Glitch said without hesitation. He did not mention the Queen's knowing smile, or the way she patted his hand when she dismissed him. He braced himself for the next, inevitable question.

"What did you mean about conflict of interest?"

Glitch took a deep breath. "I really do believe that you are the best choice for the safety of the kingdom. But I wanted to be sure that the choice wasn't influenced by my own selfish desire to keep you here." He couldn't bring himself to look at Cain. "I like having you around," he said almost too quietly to hear. "I don't have a lot of friends, you know." _It might not be the whole truth, but it's true_ , he reassured himself.

"Neither do I," said Cain. He stretched out his hands to the fire, then rubbed them together.

Glitch scooted his chair closer, reached out, and took Cain's hands in his. "Still cold," he observed.

Cain started to speak, then stopped. Glitch looked into his eyes, and Cain stared back for a long moment. Finally he said, "You know what they say, Glitch. Cold hands, warm heart."

Glitch leaned forward suddenly and reached out; if he thought about it too long, he would lose his nerve. He unbuttoned Cain's shirt and put his hand inside, laying it over Cain's heart. The skin was warm and he could feel Cain's heartbeat under his palm. His own heartbeat was thudding in his ears. "You're right," he said as calmly as he could.

Cain sat forward, covering Glitch's hand with one of his own. His voice sounded lower in pitch than usual, and ragged. "I didn't go away to think about the job, Glitch."

Glitch's response was almost a whisper. "What did you go away to think about?" he asked, staring into the eyes that were now just a few inches away from his.

"Same thing I came back for," Cain said. He closed the distance between them and stood, tugging Glitch's jacket with his free hand until they were both standing. "I came back for you," Cain said, and kissed him.

Glitch felt Cain's lips - cold at first, but rapidly warming - against his own, and Cain's hand moving up to caress his cheek. Putting his own free hand on the back of Cain's neck, Glitch leaned into the kiss, threading his fingers through Cain's hair.

Cain pulled back slightly and began planting fierce kisses along Glitch's jawline. Glitch moaned and tipped his head back as Cain nibbled his neck just under the jaw; he felt his bones turn to jelly when Cain bit gently at the hollow at the base of his neck, just at the collarbone.

Glitch recovered just enough of his scattered self-possession to form words. "There's a bed over there, Cain," he stammered, jerking his head in its direction.

"There's a rug right here," Cain said, and tumbled them both down onto it.

* * *

  


Cold awoke Glitch a few hours later. The fire was dying down; through the window he could see the dim silver twilight as the gleaming surface of the snow extended the last fading rays of the suns. He was pleasantly sticky, gloriously sore, and happily entangled with Cain, skin against skin, on the rug in front of the waning fireplace. It would have been wonderful to stay like this forever, but it was only going to get colder.

He patted Cain's cheek. "Wake up," Glitch said softly.

Cain opened his eyes and took in the situation. With mock astonishment, he said, "Do I know you?"

Glitch smiled. "Good evening, sweetheart."


End file.
